Mabie teeeas



J. M. TERRAS.

. VEHICLE.

(No Model.)

Patented Nov.- 6, 1883-.

To all whom it mag concern:

- PATENT rinse,

JEAN MAniE TERRAS, or nvonsrnnncn.

VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent hi0, 287,856, dated November 6, 1883. Application filed July 25, 1883. (No model.) Patented in France February 10. 1883, No 153,624.

Be it known that I, JEAN MARIE TERRAS, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Lyons, in France, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Movable Guide- W'heel, enabling any vehicle to utilize the rails of road-railways, tramways, and the like,

. (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in France, dated February 10, 1883, No. 153,624,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to enable vehicles of all descriptions other than the vehicles specially constructed for use on tramways or railways, and in particular vehicles provided with a swiveling fore carriage to travel indifferently, either upon the rails laid down in towns for tramways, road-railways,

85c. or upon common roads, without the necessity for any alteration, eitherin the form of the wheels or in the vehicle itself, or in the harness,and without in any way interfering with the circulation of the specially constructed vehicles. The sole condition is that the gage of thewheels should be the same as that of the rails.

The apparatus consists of carrier.

First, the guide. The guide is arranged either before or behind the wheels that are to be guided, and consists, essentially, of a small wheel provided with a central or approximately central or lateral flange. Theperiphcry of this wheel bears upon the rails. lVhen the line is laid with double or grooved rails, the flange runs between the rails. When the line is laid with single-headed rails, the flange runs inside the rails; in short, the flange of the guide acts in the same manner as the wheels of the vehicles specially constructed to travel upon the line; If preferred, any other form of guide-such as a straight or curved rigid rod terminating in a point or in a ball, or.provided with a movable ball or cylinder acting upon the rails inthe same manner as the flange of the guide-wheelmay be substituted for the a guide and guidelatter. The guides may be employed singly or in pairs, or in double pairs, and may be arranged either in advance of or in the rear of the wheels to be guided, or parallel with these wheels. In the case of four-wheeled vehicles .nected to the axle of the fore carriage.

it may be fitted to the forewheels only, or to thehind wheels, or to all four wheels. In order to facilitatethe action of the guide-wheel, the fore carriage may, if desired, when the guide-wheel is broughtinto action,be fixed by a movable pin acting upon a suitable part of the swiveling fore carriage and operated by the driver. By means of such pin the fore carriage will be prevented from oscillating or swiveling upon the king-bolt or axis. When the guide-wheel is lifted, the pin will be thrown out of action, and the fore carriage will be free to turn upon its center.

Second, guide carrier. The guide, irrespective of its form, is carried by a rigid guide-carrier, which enables it to be elevated when the vehicle is traveling upon common roads, or lowered when the vehicle is traveling upon a tram or other similarline. This movement is obtained by means of a lever or other suitable means of transmission under the control of the driver. When it is desired to throw the guide out of action, the guide-carrier is elevated and retained in the elevated position by a catch. Then it is desired to. make use of the line, the vehicle is brought over the center of the line, so that its wheels bear-upon the rails. The guide is then 10wered and prevents the vehicle from running off the line. The guidecarrier may be combined with a spring, for the purpose of facilitating its movements or rendering it more effective.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side, and Fig. 2 an end, elevation of'a vehicle fitted with this apparatus.

A is the ordinary wheel of the vehicle. The gage of the wheels is equal to that of the rails.

B is the guide-wheels, in the form of a wheel with a central flange.

C is the guide carrier or frame, composed of a metal frame hinged or jointed at a, and con- Any other analogous arrangement of guide-carrier capable of producing the same result and connected to any other suitable part of the vehicle may be employed.

D is alever, worked by the driver, for raising or lowering the guide-carrier;

E is a spring for facilitating the movement,

and in particular thelowering of the guide-carlhe Combi11ation,with an ,ordinary-road-veer, and 'for'keeping the guide upon the rail.

hicle, of the flanged guidewheel'B; movable The spring may be arranged in any other mancarrier or frame 0, lever l), for operatlng the 15 ner, or may be dispensed. with altogether, or same, and regulating-spring E, substantlally any other equivalent device may loe substias and for the purposes descrlbed and shown. tuted.

In the drawings the full lines represent the JEAN MARIE flanged guide-Wheel in action-that is to say,

placed upon the rails. The dotted lines rep- WVitnesses: resent the guide and guide-carrier elevated. I. P. A. MARTIN,

Having. thus described my invention, I J. FERRET.

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